


A Likeness of One

by northofthehouse



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee, The Sentinel (TV), f(x)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, Empathy, Eventual Romance, Lee Taemin is a Little Shit, M/M, Mating Bond, Mentioned Kim Jongdae | Chen, Mentioned Kim Joonmyun | Suho, Mentioned Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Multi, Polyamory, Pre-OT3, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 01:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16965384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/northofthehouse/pseuds/northofthehouse
Summary: The goddess he freed promised him a blessing. Jongin's been searching ever since.





	A Likeness of One

**Author's Note:**

> I really do love Taemin but I needed a villain, sorry. Also, there's a moment of verbal abuse and language when they're at the apartment, so if that's too much for you, please be aware and avoid that. Your safety should come first, okay?
> 
> In other news, I'm a huge fan, OP. What an honor to write this for you. I hope you enjoy it! <3

**Prologue:**

There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall. Its melody is beautiful, yet haunting, and the boy can't explain why he feels so drawn to it. He's young, barely eight, but also old enough to know that there's something not quite right about this clock.

He also knows that he's not supposed to be going down this hallway, but in all the years the boy has lived in this house, the clock's never worked until now. That alone would be enough to intrigue him, but the clock is still chiming sadly and he simply can't resist.

The clock face, when he's finally close enough to see it, resembles a person somehow. Like the old grandmother tree in Pocahontas, the face is feminine but seems more craggy than beautiful. The boy can tell that the face is wise, too, though he can't explain why he feels this way.

He decides there really must be a person in this clock. Strangely, the closer the boy gets to it, the more the clanging of the clock sounds like a voice, crying out in desperation.

"To be free," the clock cries. "I'd give anything to be free!"

_This is a strange clock_ , the boy thinks. His thoughts feel hazy and thick, like the words in his head are wading through quicksand. He watches as his hand moves of its own volition and touches the face.

The glass cracks. The boy snatches his hand away in pain; it's bleeding. He watches in awe as light begins to pour through the cracks in the clock face and only looks away when he has to, closing his eyes against the glow just as the final pieces of glass fall away.

 

**Present day (some years later):**

Jongin thinks his first customer of the day has the most beautiful hands he’s ever seen. They’re broad, probably strong, and very guitar-calloused. Jongin wants those hands around his neck. Or holding him up against a wall, maybe.

Jongin thinks his second customer of the day is probably a guide. There’s no real way to tell, of course, except Jongin, an empath himself, can practically taste the other man’s displeasure. It also helps that this second customer is glowering at him. Even for ass o’clock in the morning that glare is a bit much, so Jongin can only assume that Customer #2 was party to Jongin’s less than professional thoughts about Customer #1. (And his hands. And what Jongin wants to do with them. Or have them do to him. He’s not picky.)

When asked what he wants to order, Customer #2 grumbles, “Stop eyeing my sentinel,” and walks away.

Jongin’s not quite sure what to make of this response. Before he can hold it back, Jongin has the fleeting thought that Customer #2’s a hardass; said customer, as he ushers Mr. Walking-Wet-Dream out of the coffee shop, yells “I heard that!” over his shoulder and Jongin shrugs. Oops?

By the time Sehun comes in an hour later, Jongin’s just itching to tell him what happened.

“The goddess promised me a blessing,” Jongin reminds his friend. “You know, when I freed her? I think it’s him.”

Sehun raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms over his chest; he looks altogether unimpressed. “You think your grumpy customer is the manifestation of a vaguely mentioned blessing from some being you freed from a magical clock when you were a kid?”

Jongin opens his mouth to protest but Sehun’s eyebrow lifts even higher and he shuts up.

“That’s a stretch and you know it, Jongin,” Sehun continues as if Jongin hadn’t ever considered interrupting. “How do you know this ‘goddess’ person isn’t evil incarnate? Or, for that matter, that she’s even legit?”

“I’d like to point out for the record that I’m claiming the tall and handsome one as my blessing, not his mini sidekick.”

“Duly noted,” Sehun acquiesces with a nod. He waves a hand for Jongin to continue as he goes to the register to help some customers who’ve just come inside.

Jongin eyes the new customers suspiciously, but he doesn’t recognize any of them so he figures it’s safe to speak.

“As I was saying, I want the first customer to do naughty things to me, not the second one.”

One of the girls Sehun’s helping giggles behind her hand and Jongin’s flooded with shocked amusement; he ignores her as best he can and continues. “Also, we all know that Tae-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is the truest incarnation of evil and she was in a talking clock, okay. If she wasn’t a goddess, what was she?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Sehun deadpans as the girls pay and move toward the other end of the counter, “literally anything else? A talking clock, perhaps?”

The girl who giggled before laughs again, louder this time, and Sehun, the greaseball, winks at her. She flushes brightly and turns toward her tittering friends. Jongin sighs and sets about making their orders.

Sehun teases him mercilessly about “Blessing Bae” for at least a week but Jongin gets so used to the prickle of Sehun’s sarcasm that he learns to brush it off entirely. Once Jongin stops reacting, Sehun stops messing with him, about this at least, and the moment is mostly forgotten.

In fact, Jongin doesn’t see Customers #1 and #2 for so long that by the time they do finally return to the cafe, Jongin basically experiences his first reactions all over again. (i.e. Those hands, wow. Choke me, daddy.) (Also: Jeez, what a look. This guide must hate me.)

This time, when the two approach the register together and he asks what they’d like, Jongin also makes sure to add an apology. “For last time,” he says, directing his words toward the guide. “I’m not trying to be a homewrecker or anything.”

“We weren’t bonded then,” the guide answers, surprisingly cordial. He’s still glaring but Jongin can sense no ill-will from him today and, in the right light, his big, brown eyes are even a little pretty. Maybe the guy just really needs glasses or something.

“Ahh,” Jongin murmurs, like he gets it, which he does.

Due to an unfortunate epidemic of forced bonding in the late 1800s, sentinel-guide pairs now have to undergo an extensive screening process to make sure neither party is being made to bond against his or her will. It’s great for human rights and whatever, but for those who actually do want to consensually bond, the wait for approval can be torturous. Granted, the Sentinel-Guide Protection Act of 1926 does nothing to protect empaths like Jongin, but hey, at least it’s a step in the right direction.

“In that case, congratulations on your bonding. Today’s drinks are on the house.” He smiles as well as he can, waves off their thanks for the free drinks, and slowly slumps as he watches them walk away, hand-in-hand.

“You can’t just give out free stuff,” Sehun lectures as he steams the milk and Jongin packs the espresso.

“They just got bonded,” Jongin responds dejectedly.

“I heard,” Sehun says, like he doesn’t understand why that’s relevant. “But pairs bond all the time. Are these two friends or yours or something?”

“Tall and handsome. Mini sidekick.”

Sehun’s mouth falls open in shock. Jongin can feel his friend’s pity fall like a heavy wet blanket across his shoulders.

“Blessing Bae’s got a boo, huh? That sucks, man, that really sucks.”

Jongin huffs and sets the prepared drinks on a tray to deliver to the couple’s table. “Don’t call him that,” is all he says as he walks away.

“So I did a little research,” Sehun tells Jongin as he clocks in for his shift the next day. “About Blessi--I mean, those two customers from before.”

Jongin doesn’t look up from the table he’s wiping down but Sehun notices that Jongin starts scrubbing a little more aggressively so he keeps talking.

“Apparently they’re powerful. Like one-for-the-ages powerful. You know Junmyeon from Student Affairs? He says that Kyungsoo, the guide, is at least an 8 and Chanyeol, the sentinel, has got all 5 senses. So together, obviously, they’re hot stuff.”

Sehun means this figuratively, but Jongin, who doesn’t care about power, instead remembers the sentinel’s strong hands and the guide’s pretty eyes and agrees. Hot stuff indeed.

“And then there’s what Jongdae from the student paper told me.” Sehun pauses and waits for Jongin to look at him. When he doesn’t, Sehun rolls his eyes and turns away to tie on his apron.

“I guess you’re not interested,” Sehun trolls. He heads toward the door and flips the sign, then unlocks it and officially opens them for business for the day.

The early rush of half-awake college students feels especially long this morning as Jongin waits impatiently for the rest of Sehun’s info dump. The constant itch of Sehun’s smug satisfaction is just the icing on the cake for Jongin, and he corners Sehun as soon as there’s a break in customers.

“Okay, yes, I want to know. Tell me!” Jongin demands.” Sehun smirks and holds out his hand, palm up.

“What’ll you give me?” he asks. “Because it might have been free this morning when you were moping and I felt bad for you, but now you’re being bossy and information like this comes at a price.”

Briefly, Jongin considers calling his bluff; Sehun’s never been one to keep a secret for long, and Jongin figures his friend would cave first, if it came down to that.

Then he decides he doesn’t want to wait that long, and instead tries to figure out what he has that Sehun might want.

“I’ll cover your next stock shift?” Jongin offers tentatively. Stock shifts start at 3 am and involve a lot of heavy lifting, so Jongin feels like it’s a pretty fair exchange. Sehun, though, shakes his head.

“That’s all this is worth to you?” he whines. “A couple of hours of work and the rest of the day off? No thanks, bro. I’ll keep my shift...and my knowledge.”

Jongin just barely holds back an eye roll. What a drama queen.

“I heard that,” Sehun informs him petulantly. “I might not be that strong of a guide, but even a 1 would be able to hear something thought that strongly.”

Jongin apologizes. (For the greater good.)

“Ugh,” Sehun groans, “fine, fine. You’re pathetic. Whatever. Jongdae says they’re bonded but they’re not balanced and apparently the paper reported last week that the Golden Couple need a third or they aren’t going to last very long. Happy?”

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were powerful enough to need a balancer? This is expensive information indeed.

“I’m saying they need an empath, Jongin. Maybe this sentinel’s your blessing after all.”

Sehun doesn’t have to add this final tidbit of information. Jongin already knows what kind of balance is required for a sentinel-guide pair that powerful; it’s something he’s been trained for, after all.

He tries not to let his thoughts linger too long on the possibility, but it’s hard to get rid of the idea that he might be just the empath Chanyeol and Kyungsoo need. It’s silly, of course, because they hardly know each other; which is to say, they don’t know each other at all. For all that Sehun says they go to the same university Jongin does, he’s certainly never seen either one of them around before they started coming to the coffee shop. And even then it’s only been twice. Certainly not anything to write home about.

Still, Jongin mulls. And when he’s not deep in thought, he hopes.

And, no matter what’s going on in his head or his heart, Jongin’s also distracted.

Sehun sends him home early after the third dropped drink, insisting he’ll be fine until Luhan gets in later.

“Think of this as an intervention,” Sehun jokes as he helps Jongin into his jacket and ties his own scarf around Jongin’s neck. “On behalf of all the mugs you’ve yet to break, please get out of here.”

Jongin grumbles into Sehun’s scarf about overbearing friends who think they’re his mom, but he can also sense Sehun’s genuine concern and leaves without too much complaining.

“And I’m covering your stock shift in the morning, Sehunnie!” he calls over his shoulder as he walks out the employee exit into the alley next to the cafe. “No arguments!”

Sehun throws him a finger heart and, still looking over his shoulder and not paying any attention to where he’s walking, Jongin tosses back a thumbs up. He regrets this a second later when he runs into a wall.

Well, not a literal wall, though it certainly feels that way at first. But walls don’t come with tinges of recognition and panic, and, when Jongin looks up, he sees a familiar sentinel. (Surprise, surprise.)

The recognition makes sense, but the panic seems a little out of left field. Jongin checks for signs of outward stress but there’s no one else on the little side street, Chanyeol’s wearing a pretty solid parka against the late fall chill, and it’s not raining. He checks, then, for inward stress, signs that the sentinel is on the brink of a zone out, and, when he finds them, the panic makes sense. This is worse than he’d feared.

Chanyeol’s pupils are dilated and his gaze is unfocused, though it does sharpen occasionally as it momentarily lands on Jongin’s face. There’s the quick burst of recognition when that happens, but it’s gone again when Chanyeol’s eyes shift elsewhere. The sentinel’s shaking slightly, too, and he’s flexing his fingers like he’s trying to grasp onto something that isn’t there.

It’s hard to watch, but it also helps Jongin figure out which sense Chanyeol’s lost in. There’s not a lot Jongin can do, as an empath, but at least he now knows not to touch Chanyeol if he doesn’t have to.

He tells an empty-eyed Chanyeol to “stay there!” and rushes back into the shop to find Sehun. Unfortunately Sehun won’t be much more help than Jongin, but there are some things he can try as a guide to keep Chanyeol conscious until Kyungsoo can be reached. If he’s unsuccessful, Chanyeol could fall into a sensory coma, lost to touch for maybe forever.

Jongin tries not to let the “what-ifs” drown him as he kicks out all the customers and sets an “Out to Lunch” sign in the window. Before he heads out to find Kyungsoo, Jongin makes a quick stop in the alley to let Sehun know where he’s going and to tell him to call if Chanyeol gets any worse. Sehun’s expression and the sinking feeling in Jongin’s gut suggest that Sehun doesn’t think Chanyeol can get much worse than this.

Ignoring the weight of Sehun’s anxiety as best he can, Jongin finds the nearest emergency call box and asks the operator to put out an APB for Kyungsoo. The campus is covered in bright orange emergency phone poles and call boxes for just this reason, and it doesn’t take long for someone to get a hold of Chanyeol’s guide.

Kyungsoo, already psychically aware that something was wrong, arrives at the cafe in mere minutes and wastes no time in hunting down his sentinel. Miraculously, Chanyeol’s not quite gone. Kyungsoo manages to slowly talk him back to awareness and later, after Sehun opens the shop again and Kyungsoo and Jongin wait with Chanyeol as he gets checked out by an EMT, Kyungsoo comments that Jongin’s quick thinking might be the thing that saved Chanyeol’s life.

Jongin doesn’t know what to say.

“I’m not a guide,” he protests emphatically. “I’m just an empath. Sehun’s the real hero here.”

Kyungsoo cocks his head quizzically. “I didn’t know you weren’t a guide,” he reveals. “That first time we met, when I practically yelled at you, I thought you just didn’t care to block your thoughts. It made me madder, to be honest.”

Chanyeol snorts, amused.

“Soo’s been complaining about you for weeks,” Chanyeol says. Jongin realizes this is the first time he’s heard Chanyeol say anything that wasn’t a coffee order and decides he really likes Chanyeol’s voice. Kyungsoo coughs, pointedly, and Jongin flushes, looking away.

“Sorry,” he apologizes. “Sorry.” There’s an awkward pause as the EMT gives Chanyeol the all clear then departs, leaving Jongin alone with the couple. “If it helps,” Jongin mumbles, “which it probably doesn’t, you have a nice voice too.” He looks down at his hands and his cheeks get even redder. “Even when you’re practically yelling.”

Chanyeol coos and flat out asks Jongin to be their empath.

“Chanyeol!” Kyungsoo yelps, just as Jongin lets out a startled “What?!”

They’re both so loud that Sehun comes running. He catches enough from Jongin’s scattered thoughts to have a vague understanding of what’s happening, and decides that enough is enough.

“Look,” Sehun tells the pair as he moves to stand between them and Jongin. “My friend’s been through a lot today, okay? You two are leaving and he’s going home, and I don’t care what you decide to do about this,” he gestures between the three of them, “but decide tomorrow. Because right now Jongin needs to sleep. Alone.”

Jongin can feel that someone’s confused, and someone’s angry, and someone’s sad, but he can’t tell who’s feeling what. Chanyeol’s okay now, though, and that’s good. And Kyungsoo doesn’t hate him for finding them both attractive, so that’s good too.

Jongin doesn’t feel like he’s awake enough to make it home, which is a bit of a bummer, but a bed made out of bags of coffee beans can’t be that uncomfortable, right?

He hears Sehun say something about shock and overexertion, and a surprisingly concerned voice offers to take him home.

“What part of ‘Jongin’s going home alone’ did you misunderstand, exactly?” Sehun asks Kyungsoo, exasperated.

“Look at him!” Kyungsoo whisper-yells back. “He’s practically asleep already.”

Sehun crosses his arms over his chest and eyes Kyungsoo warily. “Okay, fine,” he agrees after a long moment of consideration. “But I want you gone as soon as he’s safely home.”

“You have our word,” Chanyeol swears seriously. “Your friend helped save my life today. So did you. We wouldn’t dishonor that by taking advantage of him when he’s vulnerable.”

“Or ever,” Kyungsoo adds earnestly. “Give us a little credit.”

“I don’t know you,” Sehun responds shortly. “I have no reason to give you anything.”

“Well considering he’s one of the few empaths registered at this university and, as I’m sure you know, we’re in the market,” Kyungsoo says drily, “you’ll likely get to know us quite well quite soon. Now, can we go?”

Sehun’s not sure he likes this guide’s attitude. He makes no effort to hide this thought from Kyungsoo but does offer Chanyeol a begrudging “Thank you” when the sentinel lifts Jongin onto his back.

As they leave, Chanyeol promises, “We’ll take care of him,” and that’s really all Sehun can ask for, isn’t it?

Jongin’s head bounces gently against Chanyeol’s shoulder as the three of them walk the short distance to Jongin’s student apartment. He’s so, so tired, and he’s got even less control over his thoughts than he usually does.

(i.e. Chanyeol’s back is broad and warm. It feels nice.)

(Also: Kyungsoo looks so cute all bundled up in his coat and scarf.)

Kyungsoo, for once, lets it slide, and Jongin’s grateful. Like he’d said, he’s not trying to be a homewrecker or anything.

“We know, Jongin,” Kyungsoo says and smiles gently at him.

_I swear I didn’t know he was going to ask me to be your empath_ , Jongin thinks, trying to communicate telepathically what he’s too tired to say aloud.

“It’s okay, Jongin,” Kyungsoo says. To Chanyeol, as they arrive at the stairs to Jongin’s apartment, he says, “I thought we said we were going to wait a while, see what our options were. What happened to that?”

“He’s just so cute!” Chanyeol gushes. His breaths are a little labored as he carries Jongin up the steps but he’s no less exuberant in his praise of Jongin. “The way he blushed when he said he liked your voice? We have to keep him.”

“He likes your hands,” Kyungsoo answers.

Chanyeol looks down at him and smirks. “I know, babe. You’re the one who wouldn’t shut up about him, remember?”

Kyungsoo shoves playfully at Chanyeol’s unoccupied shoulder. “Oh be quiet, you big dork. If I remember correctly, you’ve got quite the list of coffee-related pick-up lines saved on your phone.”

_I like you a latte_ , Jongin suggests through a wide yawn.

“Jongin says he likes you a latte,” Kyungsoo tells Chanyeol.

Chanyeol laughs, delighted. “Tell him I can feel something brewing between us.”

Kyungsoo huffs, but he’s blushing. “Tell him yourself.”

“Or I can tell him,” a new voice comments sarcastically. “Hey, Jongin. There’s a couple of losers here who think bad puns are the way to your heart. Wait till they hear how naughty you can be.”

Jongin’s feels like his stomach’s turned to lead and, if he were standing, his knees would have given out for sure. Because he knows that voice and he knows the bitter taste of that smug superiority. Both belong to the boy who broke his heart last semester: Lee Taemin.

Jongin’s sure Chanyeol, so attuned to each of his senses, can feel the way Jongin starts to shake as Taemin keeps talking.

“I heard you’d found yourself someone new to pine after,” Taemin says disdainfully. “I didn’t realize it was two someones. And two already-bonded someones at that.” He tsks and crosses his arms, leaning casually against Jongin’s front door. “I always knew you were a desperate bitch,” he sneers, “but color me impressed.”

Jongin tries to slide off Chanyeol’s back so he can stand up against Taemin properly, but Chanyeol won’t let him go.

“You have no right to speak to him that way,” Chanyeol says angrily.

Taemin rolls his eyes and steps away from the door, closer to Chanyeol. “Jonginnie’s got a bit of a shame kink, though,” he informs Chanyeol. To Jongin, he asks, “Don’t you, baby?”

Jongin hides his face in Chanyeol’s neck, blinking away the tears that threaten hot and heavy just behind his eyelids.

Kyungsoo, silent until now, walks right up to Taemin and stands so close their breath mingles.

“He’s not your baby,” Kyungsoo tells him, quietly livid. “And, as my sentinel said, you don’t get to talk to him or about him like that.”

Taemin looks unimpressed.

“I can, and will, report you for harassment,” threatens Kyungsoo. He points to the stairway. “Get out.”

Taemin holds up his hands. “Okay, okay, you win,” he concedes, though he’s smirking. “I’ll leave. I just wanted to check in on Jongin here, but I guess you two’ve got him well-handled, don’t you?”

“We do,” Chanyeol responds. Jongin’s still got his face buried into Chanyeol’s neck and he doesn’t look up until he hears Taemin’s steps echo down the stairwell.

“I’m sorry about him,” he apologizes quietly, ashamed that these powerful, beautiful people had to experience such an embarrassing part of his history. “Taemin thought it’d be funny to seduce a poor, helpless empath who couldn’t read his thoughts and wouldn’t know he was a joke until it was too late.”

“I heard about that,” Chanyeol murmurs thoughtfully. “You don’t have anything to apologize for, Jongin. I never thought what that frat-boy idiot did was funny.”

“Sehun likes to call him Tae-douche,” Jongin adds. He feels a little helpless and tries again to get down from Chanyeol’s back. This time Chanyeol lets him go, but is quick to reach an arm around Jongin’s waist to hold him up.

“Just in case,” Kyungsoo tells him. “Adrenaline had you pretty knocked out a minute ago.”

“Run-ins with Tae Volde-Min are like cold showers,” Jongin responds as he pulls out his keys and unlocks his door. “Suddenly I’m wide awake.”

Kyungsoo looks unconvinced. “You won’t be for long, I think,” he says gently. “It’s probably best if you try and get some sleep.”

Jongin shakes his head and sighs. He knows he won’t get any sleep tonight, not when Taemin’s just stopped by and he’s alone in his apartment.

Kyungsoo hear these thoughts and grimaces as he considers their options. Sehun explicitly told them to let Jongin alone until tomorrow, but they can’t just leave him like this.

Evidently Jongin feels the tug of Kyungsoo’s indecision because he offers, shy and uncertain, “You could stay?”

They could, but Sehun would kill them if he found out. Also Chanyeol gave Sehun their word that they wouldn’t take advantage of Jongin.

“Cuddling isn’t taking advantage,” Chanyeol argues. Then he says, “I won’t tell if you won’t,” and that decides it. Jongin finds a spare pair of sweats for Chanyeol and raids his roommate Minseok’s room for something smaller for Kyungsoo. Once everyone’s changed and comfortable, they pile onto Jongin’s couch and lay snuggled there until Jongin finally falls asleep.

“What a day,” Chanyeol murmurs against Jongin’s hair.

Kyungsoo can only yawn in agreement. “You know,” he says, a little later as he and Chanyeol are close to sleep, “I think I know that asshole from somewhere.”

“Hmm?”

“Tae-douche,” Kyungsoo clarifies. “I think I know him.”

“Well I’d rather know Jongin,” Chanyeol mutters, almost unintelligible.

“It’s not a competition, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo says, confused and hazy with sleep. “But me too.”

Chanyeol’s last thought before he falls asleep is that he can’t wait for tomorrow. Kyungsoo hears him and agrees.

 

**Epilogue (some months later):**

“I can’t believe you’re finally getting bonded tomorrow,” Sehun remarks to Jongin as they stand side-by-side at the espresso machines. “Boss is making me take your shifts for the weekend. You’re such a jerk.”

Jongin rolls his eyes. He can feel the warm happiness coming off his friend in waves and he knows Sehun’s all talk.

This is confirmed when Sehun adds, “Seriously though, congrats, dude. You’ve wanted them since Day 1, basically. I’m glad they want you back.”

“If we’re being technical,” Kyungsoo remarks from his seat across the counter, “a little birdie told me that Jonginnie was only interested in ‘Blessing Bae’ and not the ‘mini sidekick.’”

He smirks and Chanyeol bursts out laughing as Jongin shrieks and turns on Sehun with an indignant “You told them about that?!”

Sehun’s answering grin is wicked, though he does turn appropriately apologetic when Jongin comes after him with the rag he’s holding.

A polite cough drags the two friends from their dishcloth battle and Jongin looks up to apologize to the customer they’ve neglected. Only the words get stuck in his throat because standing before him is the woman he freed from the clock all those years ago. His goddess. She hasn’t aged a day.

Chanyeol, to Jongin’s surprise, recognizes her too. (From his advanced comm class, he tells Jongin later.) “Soojung!” he crows. “Have you met Jongin? He’s our empath! We’re getting bonded tomorrow.”

She smiles radiantly, even as Jongin continues to gape like a fish. “Congratulations,” she tells him proudly. “I knew you’d do well.”

“Thank you for your blessing,” Jongin replies reverently. “I’ll cherish him well.”

She laughs. It sounds like the tinkling of bells and even Sehun’s enthralled. “Silly boy,” Jongin’s goddess says. “This sentinel is not your blessing. He is your fate.”

Jongin doesn’t understand. “Kyungsoo, then?” he asks.

She shakes her head. “Not the guide either, though his story is a little harder to tell and I am sorry for the pain that Taemin’s interference put you through. But what was meant as a punishment for freeing me grew into even greater love, so there is no great damage done with this.”

“No,” she explains, finally, “your blessing is your skill as an empath, for I knew that one day you’d need it to save the life of the boy you’d come to love.”

This is a lot to take in all at once. Jongin’s especially curious about how Taemin factors into this equation and what that has to do with Kyungsoo. He doesn’t ask, though, mostly because he’s fairly certain the goddess won’t tell him. He does thank her again, fervently. She thanks him, in turn, for setting her free, and reminds him to treasure the blessings that she, and fate, have given him.

“They aren’t from me,” she says, “but they’re no less important because of that. These two love you and you balance them out beautifully. Be happy, Jongin.”

He is happy. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo make him happy. Brilliantly, dazzlingly, painfully happy.

“We know, Jongin,” Kyungsoo says softly. His smile is sweet.

“Yes,” Chanyeol agrees. His smile is radiant. “And we love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon that didn't make the cut:
> 
> \- Taemin's actually a minor deity who's mad about Soojung being free so he tries to intervene in Jongin's happiness. When his seduction-doucheness doesn't work, he tries messing with Kyungsoo's fate to have him bond with Chanyeol before Jongin gets the chance to meet him. When that also doesn't work, he tries appearing at Jongin's apartment to poison Chanyeol and Kyungsoo against him. Thankfully, love wins!  
> \- Chanyeol really does know Soojung from his advanced comm class. Like Taemin, she's sort of hiding in plain sight and watching over Jongin's happiness as she can.  
> \- Empaths balance powerful sentinel-guide pairs by acting as projectors of the guide's power. So when the sentinel is close to a zone out or a little too focused on one particular sense, an empath can work with a guide to bring the sentinel out of that.  
> \- Empaths who are bonded to guides are also good as shields to protect the guide from the general buzz of everyone else's thoughts. Like a filter, almost.  
> \- After their first encounter, Kyungsoo legit complains about Jongin for weeks. (KS: "He's so pretty and he thinks you're so pretty and where does that leave me?" CY: "Also pretty? What exactly is the problem here?)  
> \- Chanyeol does not complain, but blushes any time anyone mentions Jongin's name. (Mostly because Kyungsoo told him all about Jongin's fascination with Chanyeol's hands.)


End file.
